Interviews with Shinya Nomiyama

My design work's background is in the childhood when I was playing the piano. My piano teacher taught me a lot of beautiful things in this world besides piano. He took me to the place where lively great nature exists, taught me how to enjoy green tea and coffee, how to shoot the camera, off course how to listen to the music. He always asked me "What do you think? and Why do you think so?". Those precious questions and answers are the base of my today's work and leads me to the answer to what I design.

I chose to become a designer.

I like designing space and enjoying working with people I like. The working environment influences the result.

I think we designer have to keep on studying a lot. Studying various matter and get interested in leads us to the interesting life.

If it is clear what a designer wants to do. It should not be only beautiful as a shape but it also should be along with the concept. If so, a design goes to be clear to see what a designer wants to do.

It is one of reason that we can take our clients to different value that they don't realize.

It is keep on thinking until I think I want to do it.

Tokujin Yoshioka, Shiro Kuramata, Tadao Ando, Marcel Wonders, Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec, Thomas Heathewick, Snohetta, OMA, Vincent van duysen, GamFratesi Norm Architects, Space Copenhagen

My design work's background is in the childhood when I was playing the piano. My piano teacher taught me a lot of beautiful things in this world besides piano. He took me to the place where lively great nature exists, taught me how to enjoy green tea and coffee, how to shoot the camera, off course how to listen to the music. He always asked me "What do you think? and Why do you think so?". Those precious questions and answers are the base of my today's work and leads me to the answer to what I design.

Space Orchestra is named for the design like symphony. Our work cannot be completed by ourselves. It is always accompanied with a client, constructor, craftsman and woman, environment, material, furniture and so many elements. We are challenging to organize those many elements and sublimate as the design work like symphony for the matter.

Design is the one of the way to express invisible matter to visible. The important essence of design is how we build the concept between client's request and the matter what they don't see, but we see. Design is one of the best invention to communicate with a client. I always get excited in my mind when I come up with the design as a answer for the task.

We like designing architecture, interior space and furniture.We are good at designing space in total.

My most favorite design is "Honey Pop" by Tokujin Yoshioka. It redefines the relation between human and chair through its construction, which means that the experience though "Honey Pop" let us think what "sitting on chair" is.

Honey Pop has clear concept what it is for.

I worked for a residential renovation project.It was about 80㎡ apartment project which was needed to design the balance between family wants and costs.

I like to mix raw material with processed one. Generally, the contrast often let us realize the each character at ease, so that I consciously use this attitude to where I want to emphasize for the concept.

I get excited when I come up with an idea which as it is supposed to be for the concept. The process is creative when the all design matter is being solved along with the concept.

As I mentioned, our philosophy is "find your color between gray". Building the concept for the project and giving it a proper shape. It is the most exciting attitude for our design work.

It is like in "flow"by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. I always lose my time when I build up design.

Honestly, I feel relief when it is realized rather than the feeling of accomplishment.It is difficult to feel pleasure right after the completion because I was in the battle in the design.As time goes by, I feel pleasure rise in my heart "it was good work".So that I cannot stop designing, it is tough though.

It is a concept building. It depends on how we build the concept for a project.This world is consist of a lot of things and balancing with each other. The attitude is important what we have to focus on and what we have to ignore for each project.Building concept and give it a shape along with it lead to successful design having the philosophy.

If it is clear what a designer wants to do. It should not be only beautiful as a shape but it also should be along with the concept. If so, a design goes to be clear to see what a designer wants to do.

We designer have to keep asking what we believe through designing. It can be a chance to connect with various people through designed matter.

I will be in everywhere in our daily life much more than before. After coronavirus, we will think how we live the lives and what we focus on our lives. Design is the one of the answer for the coming world.

The last exhibition was in my architecture work touring. Anytime I am needed.

My design inspiration often comes from nature. Natural molding always has reasonable form, including color. When I find beautiful object in daily life, I consider why it has this shape or why it has this color. Diving into it and pretending to be itself become my stock of designing.

I focus on if it is beautiful and it is reasonable for the concept. I might can say my style is "Concept Formism" I always asking myself why I am doing this what this is for? The attitude of questioning is my style of design.

I live in Fukuoka, Japan. We have diversified environment. The place where I live in is near to sea, forest, city. It is important to be near nature and civilization because we live in "this world".

I am not sure if it is good or bad, but I'm sure that I am enjoying my life.

I am a representative for the company as a designer.

Good designers have good eyes to find something good in your company what clients forget or don't see. Good designers are good at communication, but it does't mean they don't always say "Yes".

I start my design with conversation with the client asking what they want. Then start sketching and drawing searching for a concept. Show the concept to the client with something physical thing, like a model or CG.Then conversation and conversation to the completion.

1, vintage sideboard by white&newton designed in detail

2, sofa by japanese craftsmanship

3, caravaggio wall lamp by Cecilie Manz

4, danish vintage coffee table

5, my order made work bag I designed

I start with taking shower and a cup of coffee at balcony. Then watering plants thinking nothing.

check my schedule what I have to do with priority.

At the day off , I go to sea for windsurfing.

I think it is important to just keep designing as a way of living. Designing in this society is really good experience as a member of this world.

Being designer is tough because we have to tell that is wrong even though that is right for them. So the way of telling and communication skill is important more than anything. Sometime we don't have to meet their needs but we have to meet "our needs". It is one of our job that taking our clients to different value. After tough work with client, big pleasure will come.If I always meet to just client's needs, I am not a designer now.

It is keep on thinking until I think I want to do it.

It is communication to achieve good work. We have to tell and let client convinced our idea with various way through communication, not forcing them.

I use a pen for first sketch, and confirm the detail with CAD. Making CG visual with computer.

I just quit when I cannot come up with an good idea. Walking outside, go to sea, enjoy windsurfing, drink coffee anything to forget what I have to think. Then, sooner or later it will come for sure. I don't know why...

It depends on the project. It always takes time when you want to do something new what nobody knows how to do it.

I am sometimes asked what I am thinking about. I tell them it is nothing special.

It"s when my idea was totally denied. At that time, I made a presentation like "this is the only answer for you". That presentation was really stupid... I think I was stupid now.

individuals, companies

I like designing space and enjoying working with people I like. The working environment influences the result.

I would like to work worldwide and meet a lot of interesting people who break my existing thought.

I like working as a team. It can go beyond myself.

I am thinking about how the life space should be after coronavirus world. For example, residence has to have remote work environment and how it relates with family space or private time.

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